


“You Betta like fish, Lieutenant”

by Artistic_Alex



Category: Detroit: Become Human
Genre: Adorable Connor, Dad Hank, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hank Anderson & Connor Friendship, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), dont question the title, im bad at tags, im bad at titles, this fic is literally just about fish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 11:17:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19294654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artistic_Alex/pseuds/Artistic_Alex
Summary: Connor likes fishHank likes that Connor likes fish.Hank gets fish.Connors likes that Hank likes that he likes fish and likes that he bought him a fish.





	“You Betta like fish, Lieutenant”

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I like fish a lot and study them almost obsessively. Some of the tips and stuff I didn’t even have to look up to know. 
> 
> I like fish. :))

Connor watched in pure focus as the small fish swam across the screen, the narrator commenting on every action the school of fish were apart of. It was very rare that he took his eyes off the screen when the Discovery channel was playing something he took an interest in.

 

Connor spent all his time that he didn’t spend cooking, cleaning, or working, reading and watching documentaries about animals, mostly fish. Whether they be freshwater or saltwater fish, or not even specifically fish at all, Connor loved it. The android loved spewing facts out to Hank like a walking textbook. Hank tried his best to seem annoyed but he was glad the android had found something he cared so deeply about.

 

Connor liked things besides fish, he’s taken an interest in birds and small reptiles, but above all, fish were his main interest.

 

“-and that’s why goldfish only tend to live less than a year on average in an unknowing humans care despite their twenty year long life spans.”

 

Hank nodded as he turned his head down to his cereal bowl, adding another large mouthful to the already chewed food in his mouth, opting this as a way to keep his mouth closed as Connor continued his rant about this mistreatment of common goldfish and their size and tank requirements.

 

Maybe it’s time to get Connor a pet.

 

He’s thought about it for over a month now, and since Connors getting a paycheck he can properly care for a fish, right?

 

Why not? He’s so excited about animals and nature, maybe a pet of his own will be something he’ll really like, and maybe he could talk the ear off the poor aquatic bastard instead.

 

“So, why is it you won’t be coming to work today?” Connor asks, a small tilt to his head. “I’ve scanned you and determined that you show no signs of any illness nor do you have a fever.”  

 

Hank places his bowl in the sink, rinsing the milk and wet cereal bits down the garbage disposal, fighting back the urge to complain about the devaints excessive scanning. “Eh, just ain’t feelin’ it today. Works been hard on this old mans ass, thought I’d take a day.”

 

Without looking he can tell the android is trying to scan him once more, his eyes burning holes into the back of his head.

 

“Hank, I know you’ve been doing better with your drinking and your self destructive habits but I’m still worried that it might not be best for me to leave. You’ve seemed to be rather stressed this morning.”

 

“Con- look, I’m okay, don’t worry okay? Now, you’re gonna he late and I’m sure it’d look bad if someone with a literal clock in their head is late.”

 

Hank says as he rolls his eyes and walked to the living room, grabbing the androids coat and throwing it at him before he can throw more concern at him or even try to argue.

 

“Are you certain you’ll be okay, Lieutenant?”

 

The Lieutenant crosses his arms and leaned into the bookshelf.

 

“Jesus, Connor, you act like I’m a kid bein’ left home alone for the first time. I’m fine, fuck if ya wanna take my gun to work with ya to make you feel better you can, alright?”

 

Connor fidgets with the jacket in his hands before glancing to the door. “Okay Hank, I trust you’ll be okay. Have a good day.”

 

“Yeah yeah, whatever, get the fuck out of my house.”

 

Without another word Connor leaves, walking himself to the nearest bus station and taking himself to work.

 

“Fuck, finally. Kids a real talker, huh Sumo?”

 

Sumo perks his head up from the corner, lazily eyeing his owner as Hank moved to the bathroom to get dressed.

 

Today, he was going to purchase Connor a fish of his own.

 

He thought about what kind of fish would be best for awhile, but during one of Connors rants he had mentioned a fish that could be perfect.

 

****

 

“Sia-what now?”

 

Connor smiled as he looked up from his book on fish care.

 

“Siamese fighting fish, most commonly called ‘betta fish.’ They can be rather hostile in nature but they are very beautiful.” Connor pointed to the black betta fish on the page, smiling as he continued to read facts of origin, tank requirements, and any miscellaneous facts the book gave, his eyes lighting up with every little picture.

 

Even though Connor was meant to be an adult he was so childlike, it was endearing. Sometimes Hank could forget that Connor could easily break every bone in his body without flinching.

 

Hank smiled, chuckling lightly, glad the android was finding who he was through the little things he cared about.

 

He enjoyed how caring and compassionate he’s become.

 

*****

 

A betta fish.

 

Perfect.

 

He opens the garage door and steps into the makeshift room he had made up for Connor, and looks over to his desk.

 

He supposes he could put a small tank there if he moved the large assortment of plants the android kept.

 

He wanted to purchase a five gallon tank, Connor mentioned generous space helping bettas live better lives.

 

That’s about fifty pounds though, that would eventually ruin the desk, the water and weight possibly eroding the paint on it.

 

Maybe he could spend a little extra for a small stand...

 

He pushes the desk a little to the side to provide the space he’d need to add a small stand. Once satisfied he leaves, closing the door behind him to keep Sumo out of his room while no one was home.

 

Hank grabs his keys and his phone, making sure to check the time before getting into his car.

 

Hopefully Connor will like this.

 

*****

 

Picking out tanks had been easy.

 

All he had to do was find a rectangular five gallon. He then looked through the filters, looking up on his phone the best kind before grabbing the high powered low flow filter.

 

Next, decorations.

 

He hadn’t wanted to go with too much, not really knowing what Connor would like, so he grabs a simple bag of natural sand substrate and a little cave that came with decorative leaves, plastic plants, and a few large rocks.

 

He had found a stand the easiest, the slim long box stating it’s specific measurements in very helpful bold letters.

 

And then he had to grab food for the fish. Easy. All he had to do was read the container. It told him everything he needed to know about the fish flakes he was purchasing.

 

That all had been easy.

 

The hard part…

 

Hank looked at the large row of betta fish in front of him.

 

He would have liked to purchase from a breeder like a website had suggested but he wasn’t able to do it without Connor finding out, plus he’d have to hide of the items he’s going to purchase before buying the fish. It didn’t seem worth it, at least it didn’t before.

 

It was easier to get one here, he thought. Or, he _had_ thought.

 

All the fish were in small cups, something that didn’t seem very healthy for the fish, especially with how close they were to one another.

 

Two fish seemed very agitated as they shook their fins at each other from their separate cups.

 

The one next to it appears to be dead, at least until Hank gives a light tap to the plastic, causing the fish to swim sporadically in the confined container.

 

“Huh…”

 

Hank kept observing the fish, looking at each one, he hadn’t even noticed someone come up behind him.

 

“Uh-, excuse me sir? Did you need help with something?”

 

Hank turns to see a worker holding a broom nervously in her hands.

 

She looks familiar, he then realizes he’s she’s an android, just without the led. He’s seen her model before.

 

A traci.

 

“I- uh,” Hank hesitates. He’s sure he can figure this out. But…

 

“Yeah. I’m tryna get a fish for… My kid and I’m not sure which one to get or if some of them are… Healthy.”

 

The android stands a little straighter, a warm smile on her face, though her eyes appear a bit sad.

 

“Yes… Unfortunately fish aren’t the most well cared for animals in pet stores like this, bosses would rather spend money on other things rather than medicine or water filtration. I’ll help you find one.”

 

Hank steps to the side as she looks at the rows, an annoyed expression on her face when she sees how close they are together.

 

“Damn it, Max…” She reaches over to the sink next to the shelf and grabs some paper towel, dividing the cups so the fish can no longer see each other.

 

“Sorry. It’s better they aren’t constantly in the ready to fight, they release into the cups when they stressed. It can make them sick. My coworkers keep removing the towels and the fish get worked up all over again.”

 

She looks for another minute before picking up a cup with a small blue beta fish.

 

It had large fins, dark blue scales that slowly transition into matte black ones at its tail.

 

“This one here is a fantail. We just got him, along with a few others a couple of days ago.” She hands the cup to the Lieutenant, a smile on her face as she steps back.

 

“I hope your son enjoys they fish. Have a good day, sir.”

 

Hank looks up to the android, smiling as she walks away. Hank lightly sets the fish in the child seat of the cart, pushing it to the check out, excited to set things up for when he gets home.

 

*****

 

It’s a shit show.

 

God damn, he should have read the box more carefully.

 

The stand had quite possibly had the most difficult and annoying building process ever, taking the old man nearly two hours to complete.

 

The fish, now in a bag, sits in a pot of warm water, going through the process of “acclimation” as the internet called it.

 

Hank finally puts the stand against the wall, pushing in the small singular drawer it had.

 

It was small, a drawer on top with a large and tall space on the bottom for what he assumed to be a spare tank or filter.

 

Right now he didn’t really care, his next focus was the tank itself.

 

He added the water to about three quarters of the way up, making sure it was warm and not hot or cold so he didn’t hurt the betta.

 

They next part was the shittiest part.

 

Sand has to sit overnight in water to settle otherwise it’ll just be a cloudy mess, but the Lieutenant had found an online tutorial of how to fill the tank with sand immediately without as much murky water.

 

He peeled the water bottle label off and grabbed the funnel, putting it on and setting it on the desk.

 

The bag of sand was heavy but he somehow managed to lift it and pour some into the bottle only have a little mess on the desk.

 

He repeated this for over a half hour, filling the bottle and squeezing it into the tank, soaking his clothes and parts of the floor with water and sand in the process.

 

An absolute shit show.

 

Next was the filter. Easy, a quick clip on to the tank, first putting the lights into the tanks lid and closing it to make sure the filter fit into the space.

 

Hank grabbed the decorations sitting to his side, he had been sure to rinse them before placing the fish in the pot in the sink.

 

Hank turned his head and looked to the aquarium.

 

He was no designer no doubt, so when placing the fish decor in he knew it probably looked terrible. He’s sure Connor would fix it later.

 

And finally, the moment that he’s been waiting for: the fish.

 

He grabs the fish from the pot, carefully holding the bag as Sumo trots behind him, curious from all the noise in the garage.

 

“Shoo, Sumo, don’t want you gettin’ sand and shit in your fur.”

 

He shuts the door and walks to the stand, opening the lid carefully.

 

He lets the bag sit in the water for ten minutes longer just to be sure even though he’s taken the tanks temp multiple times. He wouldn’t want to kill Connors first pet before he even met it after all.

 

And finally he opens the bag, letting the little fish swim out.

 

Hank smiled as it swam small circles around the new aquarium. Sure, it had been a little anticlimactic but what had he expected from a fish.

 

He sighs in relief knowing it’s over, until his eyes pan to the floor and desk filled with water and sand.

 

“Gah… Better get the vacuum…”

 

*****

 

Connor gets home at six. Since then Hank has finished cleaning and showered, planning on ordering a pizza soon.

 

Connor walks in with a warm smile on his face, striding to the kitchen after setting his jacket onto the rack.

 

“Hello Hank, how was your day?”

 

Hank just grunted, moving himself to better see the tv.

 

“Mhm. I’m guessing it was rather troubling then.”

 

_You wouldn’t fucking believe it._

 

“What would you like for dinner tonight? I could make spaghetti. There isn’t much here, we need to go shopping again this week.” He says, closing the fridge doors.

 

He tilts his head. “Are you alright Lieutenant?”

 

Hank looks up from the couch, debating how he should surprise the android.

 

“Yeah. Just tired. Watched a really cool video though today. Think you might have liked it.”

 

Connor gave a suspicious look before returning to the living room, sitting on the recliner with his usual straight posture.

 

“Oh? What was it?”

 

“A video about Betta fish, ya know, that sia- whatever you call it.” Hank rolls his wrist trying to remember the name, brain fried from the amount of stray sand he probably ingested when he had sneezed and it wafted back into his face. Fun fact, sand is gross.

 

Connor it quiet for a moment before leaning his head to the right.

 

“Is that water on the floor?” Connor asks, pointing to the hallway.

 

Guess he didn’t dry everything up.

 

“Yeah. More of it in your room.”

 

_Five gallons of it, to be exact._

 

Connor furrows his eyebrows before quickly standing, following the trial to the door that stood in the center of the hall, Hank following shortly behind with a smirk on his face.

 

Connor opens the door, it’s dark except for the little light of the tank shining in the corner.

 

Curiously Connor leans to the side to peer over the desk, eyes quickly lighting up when he sees the tank.

 

“Is that-“

 

Connor walks to the tank, dropping to his knees and peering inside. A tiny fantail swims around close to the front of the glass almost as a greeting.

 

“H- Hank I-“

 

Connor looks up to Hank, tears in his eyes. Before Hank can ask if he’s alright the android is hugging him, repeatedly thanking him.

 

“Ah, it’s just a fish and stuff, don’t get too excited-“

 

Connor stands back.

 

“This is one of the most thoughtful things I’ve ever been given… Thank you, Lieutenant.”

 

Connor looks back to the tank.

 

“Well, you really seem to like sea life and fish, thought it only made sense.”

 

Connor smiled before kneeling in front of the stand once more, silently watching the fish.

 

“You know, the first time I ever deviated from a task was for a fish.” Connor says, a small smirk on his face.

 

“My first mission was to save a little girl held hostage by a PL600, a deviant. He had been threatening to jump off the roof with her.”

 

Hank gave concerned look. “You mentioned the hostage situation before, I think.”

 

Connor looks up to him. “Yes, briefly. But before I talked to Daniel I had seen the fish on the floor. A Dwarf Gourami. The glass had been broken and it had fallen out.” Connors led cycles.

 

“Even though it served the mission no purpose I spent a few seconds to return the fish back to its tank so it wouldn’t die on the floor.”

 

Hank let out a soft chuckle before sitting on the deviants bed.

 

“So you were exhibiting signs of deviancy that early in your life, huh?”

 

Connor just nods, focusing his attention back to the tank. It’s compatibly silent for a few minutes before Hank speaks up once again.

 

“What do you plan to name it?”

 

Connors led cycles a bright yellow before turning to blue.

 

“I’m unsure. The fish appears to be male… Perhaps…”

 

Connor thinks for a few more moments.

 

“Zylar.” Connor beams at the newly named fish once again.

 

“Zylar? Alright. It’s a nice name.”

 

Connor nods finally standing, and joining Hank.

 

“Really, thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate this very much.”

 

Hank shakes his head. “Ah, you deserved it. You need more than just an old man and his old dog to keep you company.”

 

Connor rolls his eyes.

 

Zylar. A nice name indeed.

  
  
  



End file.
